Tribe Secrets
by mah.shuns
Summary: After the passing of her father, Sakura moves to live with her Aunt Tsunade and cousin Karin, on their reservation. The transition from Suna to Konoha is a work in progress... To make matters worse, Sasuke, Karin's boyfriend, imprints and falls in love with Sakura. AU. WolfxMate.
1. Goodbye

I don't own _Naruto _

This chapter is really short, but I'm working to publish the next chapter ASAP.

Stay tuned & enjoy

Also, please forgive me for typos or errors;

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**Chapter 1: Goodbye**

_Sand._

_Sand was everywhere I went. It was the most obvious thing about this place… every surface in this country was dusted in sand, but that's what made it home, my home._

_I'm from Suna, born and raised. I live here with my mom and dad… well, lived actually. My dad passed away last week, and my mom, in her typical fashion of being unable to cope with his passing, has decided to pack our bags and move to Konoha, to be closer to her sister, my aunt. _

_Don't get me wrong, I love my aunt and my cousin Karin, but… it's just not the same. _

_It's colder in Konoha… Much colder. _

_It's nosier. _

_"__Sakura, dear! Are you ready? Come down here, we're just about ready to leave!" _

_My mom always hated Suna, but she stayed because of my father and I, and now that he was gone, she found the perfect opportunity to move back to Konoha, her first home__. _

_"__Yeah, I'm coming down!" She replied as she took one last long look at the town in front of her, before making her way down to the car. _

_Goodbye, Suna… Hello Konoha._

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Thank you for joining me on this little adventure


	2. Hello

So, I got a little scared about writing this because my writing skills are just okay. I am hoping to improve, so please do leave a review. I am open to hearing your opinions, whether this is your cup of tea or not! I do hope you enjoy, and if you don't, let me know why! Also looking for a beta reader, because I've read this over a few times and Grammarly says I have 100 errors. (haha not getting premium still). Anyways, I did have a lot of fun writing this, still trying to get the future chapter worked out in terms of details. I am hoping to update every 2 weeks, but this isn't a promise. :

Enjoy!

I don't own **Naruto.**

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**CHAPTER 2: Hello**

"Cheer up, Sweetie… You'll love it there, you already know and love Tsunade, Dan, and Karin." Her mother assured her. "I remember you two were inseparable when you were kids."

Sakura knew this move was important to her. It explained why she was so eager to get the house sold and packed up before the weekend. The only thing she couldn't wrap her head around was the _why._ Lifting her gaze, she could see the slight tinge of sadness in her mother's eyes; a sadness that was always reserved for private. It became crystal clear to her, then, why this move was so important to her—a fresh start.

Her mother wasn't wrong, Sakura did love and miss her aunt, uncle, and Karin.

Especially Karin.

Growing up the two were always together, some would say they were "joined at the hip". Even after the move, the pair kept in touch through emails, text, or phone call. Karin didn't spare a single detail when updating Sakura on her life. As their summer visits decreased, the length of the emails began to increase.

Despite how close the pair were; everyone could tell they were polar opposites. Both in personality and appearances. Sakura had light pink hair, that resembled the spring. While Karin had fierce red hair, that resembled a burning flame. Sakura growing up, was very mellow and level-headed. Karin, on the other hand, was harsh and wild.

Sakura knew that something exciting and big had happened to Karin. If her last email wasn't indication enough, the recent lack of communication between the two was. The last Sakura heard of her was an email sent to her months ago. She was subjected to reading a very… very long and detailed email about her adventures with her new boyfriend, Sasuke Uchiha.

Sakura was well aware of Karin's crush on Sasuke Uchiha, even as children.

Sasuke Uchiha was a tall boy for his age, he had long black hair and piercing onyx eyes. He was often found hanging around his friends by the beach, most likely causing mischief. He lived on the reservation with his mother. His dad had left their family when he was young and no one dared to bring him up. Sakura's most recent memory of him was at their going-away party, that was held on the beach, but that was years ago.

"Yeah, mom. don't worry, I'm excited to see them again…" she hesitated, gripping the rickety fence and taking in what was left of the house. The red 'SOLD' sign pitched by the mailbox confirmed her suspicion that this was the last she'd be back here.

Mebuki smiled and reached, giving her shoulders a firm squeeze. "I know it's going to be hard, the changes, going to a new high school, making new friends."

They both knew that it was going to be hard to adjust to the drastic changes, but they had no time to get accustomed to it at their desired pace. It was a 'move' after all. There was no coming and going. It was just _going._

"I promise you'll find happiness, we both will," she finished sighing, as she let out the breath she was holding and heading for the car.

Admiring the view in front of her and taking one long deep breath, she couldn't shake the feeling inside her that this was going to be worse than just _hard._

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The trip from Suna to Konoha was excruciatingly long and took them the entire afternoon. Driving through the sands and where there were barely roads until they reached a path in the woods. The drastic change in scenery was the only indication that they were finally leaving Suna and entering Konoha.

Tsunade and her family lived just a few miles away from the city, on a reservation. The reservation was by the ocean and surrounded by the woods in the back, but overlooked the beach and sea. They enjoyed the peace that the land gave them, away from the bustling city, and they also enjoyed the safety that came with the reservation. The huge space was mainly inhabited by the people of their tribe, but the beaches were kept open to the public, mostly as a tourist attraction. Dan, one of the tribe leaders, oversaw the people and maintained the reservation and its surrounding land. The often secluded area was perfect for the whole tribe to gather and participate in meetings and rituals, nothing crazy or horrific, but still unusual.

"We finally made it," Mebuki sang, nudging the sleeping girl beside her and abruptly waking her up from her nap.

Pulling into the driveway, they were welcomed by a large group of eager people walking towards their approaching vehicle with open arms and wide smiles.

_Unbelievable._

Laughing and smiling at the view in front of her. "Typical Senju gatherings."

Sakura expected nothing less from this family. Nothing they did was small or underwhelming.

"Now be nice Sakura, they're here to help us," her mother whispered, cutting off the engine and climbing out to greet the large group with the same enthusiasm.

Waiting for the excitement outside to die down, Sakura exited the car and turned towards the trunk wanting to unload and get settled in as quickly as possible. As she approached the back, she was abruptly dragged back by a strong pair of arms.

"Leave it to them, Sakura," Tsunade ordered, pulling the young girl in for a tight hug, and motioning her head for the four boys to follow.

"Wow, look at you all grown up," Tsunade exclaimed, releasing Sakura from her incredibly strong hold. "You're so thin, doesn't your mom feed you?" Playfully narrowing her eyes and eyeing her up and down.

Chuckling lightly as her aunt's antics. "Aunt Tsunade, It's great to see you." She missed how silly and playful her aunt could be.

"Help has arrived!" hollered the four boys, interrupting the two before any more could be said.

Eyeing the boys approaching them, Sakura recognized them as Sasuke's friends but never met them before.

As though Tsunade read her mind. "Sakura, I want you to meet our new tribe members, Suigetsu, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Neji."

"We're not really new, just old enough to join in on the adult stuff," one corrected with a toothy grin. "I'm Suigetsu, by the way," he said extending his hand.

Sakura remembered seeing him when she was little, a very gifted swimmer if she remembers correctly. He was tall and thin with long silver-white hair with blue tips. He had an odd smile, specifically his teeth. They were noticeably pointier than normal, almost resembling a shark.

"Hey, I'm Sai," another greeted, with a tilt to his head and a small wave.

He was extremely pale for someone that lived by the beach, and just as thin as Suigetsu.

Raising his hand. "Shikamaru," yawned the third.

This one had long dark hair that was tied up in a high ponytail and a lazy look to him. If she had to guess, she'd assume he didn't sleep by the looks of his dark circles.

"Best for last! I'm Naruto," the last of them exclaimed, arms extended out for a hug.

Naruto was noticeably the shorter of the four, but still remarkably tall. He appeared to be the friendliest of the four, with long bright blonde hair, a goofy smile, and whiskers?

After the formalities were exchanged, the four headed for the car to help unload, leaving Sakura and Tsunade to themselves.

"Well looks like we won't be able to talk much. Here comes Karin," Tsunade laughed, both turning towards the front of the house, where they spotted a redhead sprinting towards them.

"Sakura!" Karin shouted, running up and latching her arms around Sakura's neck.

"Karin," Sakura laughed, stumbling and returning the same delight in seeing each other after so long.

Sakura almost forgot how energetic Karin was. There was no one in Suna, or in the world, that could match her energy. It was definitely refreshing.

Pulling away but keeping her hands placed firmly on Sakura's shoulders. "You don't call, text or email me? Did you read my last email to you?" she asked with a slight narrowing of her eyes.

"Of course I did, not that I had much of a choice. You sent me reminders, remember?"

Rolling her eyes, upset with her answer. "Well, I see you've met the boys."

"Yeah, they're Sasuke's friends?"

"Yup. Speaking of Sasuke, he was also supposed to be here today but something happened, so he couldn't make it," Karin began in a whisper. "It's so weird, he told me not to come to check on him but asked for my dad… so he's gone too," she finished with a shrug.

One thing was for sure, ever since they were old enough to speak Karin had been talking to or about Sasuke. She had loved him as children and now that they were dating she had more reason to bring him up into conversation.

"But it's okay, we're having a welcoming party by the beach later this week and he will be there for that," she stated.

"Oh yeah, can't wait," Sakura replied unconvincingly, not even looking at her anymore.

"Well… what are we waiting for just standing around?" Karin asked pulling her towards the house. "C'mon, let me show you to your room while the boys bring your stuff up!"

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Immediately entering the house, Sakura was captured by the enormous and beautiful living room. In the center, stood a large black sofa with solid wood legs facing the equally large flat-screen and fireplace, a bookcase in the corner neatly stocked with hardcovers, family pictures along one wall, and a large china cabinet against another. They had beautiful high arched windows, with velvet lace drapes, that allowed for daylight to enter while rendering the breathtaking view of the beach a mere blur.

"Okay so, your mom's room is downstairs next to my parent's room," Karin said pointing down a small hallway, past the kitchen. "We're on the second floor, so we get some privacy from the adults."

The entire first level was astonishingly beautiful, especially considering it was in the middle of nowhere. The polished wood floors and a graceful banister that curved up toward the second floor screamed luxury and wealth.

"Now here's your room," she continued, stepping off the stairs and allowing Sakura into her room first.

"Wow, this looks just like my room—," she muttered, stunned. She was barely able to make it into her room before Karin pushed past her, throwing her out of her shock.

"Back home?" Karin finished. "We heard about what happened and quickly worked with your mom to try to replicate your old bedroom, so you have a piece of home around here..."

The room was small with clean white walls, a full-sized bed in the center, a desk with small cactus', a miniature walk-in closet opposite the bed, a full body mirror in the corner, and a large faux fur area rug. It was everything that she had had in her old bedroom, and some more. The furniture and layout was an exact replica, down to the bed frame.

"I don't even know what to say," she whispered, feeling her emotions slowly creep up on her at how thoughtful the entire gesture was. Sakura almost felt guilty for her eagerness to leave before giving them a chance. They worked so hard to make her feel comfortable and all she could think about was getting out as soon as possible.

"'Thank you' will do," Karin teased with a wink, mentally applauding herself for a job well done.

Motioning for Sakura to follow to continue their house tour. "My room is on the other side, so you can reach me when you need, just… you know, knock before coming in," she giggled, wiggling her eyebrows.

Knowing exactly what she meant by that, Sakura made sure to make a mental note of that.

"The bathroom is on your left"

"I cleared a few shelves out for you," Karin continued, opening up a few cabinets to show her.

Much like the rest of the house, the bathroom was nice and clean. The tub and shower were dry; towels were neatly folded. The medicine cabinet above the sink had a mirrored door and behind it was a bunch of empty shelves, some filled with Karin's things.

"Alright, you got all of that?" Karin questioned, folding her arms.

"Yeah… I think so," Sakura yawned, stretching her arms above her head.

She had no idea how exhausted she was. She was packing through the night and all morning that she barely had a chance to sleep. Sakura couldn't wait to finally settle in and catching up on lost sleep.

"Great!" Karin exclaimed, grabbing her arms. "We're going shopping; I can't let you go to your welcoming party dressed like that!"

"What's wrong with this...?"

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"No, no, no," Karin whined, shaking her head, hands on her hip. Clearly distasted at Sakura's choice of clothes.

Inspecting herself in the mirror. "What's so bad about this?" Sakura countered.

"Sakura, you're about to turn 16 in a few months," Karin whined. "You have to get out of those oversized hoodies and leggings, and put on something sexy, something tight and lacy."

"Tight and lacy?" Sakura questioned with a scoff. "That sounds more like you."

Over the years, Sakura had perfected her personal formula of complete comfort. She always had on an oversized sweater, with leggings. There was no reason to dress to impress when she had no one to impress. Karin, on the other hand, went from wearing adorable dresses to skin-tight dresses, that left little room for imagination.

"Fine, you can wear your plain clothes for the welcoming party, but after, we're going to the club and you're going to wear what I choose," Karin declared as she pushed past her and out of the store.

"But—," she complained.

"No buts Sakura!"

Giving up, Sakura turned and followed her as Karin made her way around the mall.

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Collapsing onto her bed, exhausted after unpacking and finally settling in. At the mall, Sakura and Karin finally compromised and settled on getting Sakura a body-con dress, with lace trim and a side slit. Sakura had hoped for something less tight and revealing, but it was the most she could convince of Karin. At least it went past her upper thigh.

Looking out the window, Sakura couldn't help but admire the night, it was surprising how clear the skies were. She could see the stars illuminating sky, but despite the beauty in front of her, Sakura couldn't ignore the feeling of dread— she would be attending a new school tomorrow.

It was the middle of the school year, and she didn't know anyone. Not only was she worried about not fitting in well, but also how behind she would be in her classes. The reservation had a school that Karin and the many others of the land went to but her mom had other plans for her. As of tomorrow, she would be attending Leaf Technology High School, located in the city. Her mother had wished for her to attend a school away from the reservation, in hopes that she would make more friends.

A knock on her bedroom door disrupted her train of thought, diverting her attention to the door. Part of her was expecting it to be Karin, back to comment on her appearance or talk to her about Sasuke. The other part of her was hoping it was actually just her mind playing tricks.

"Come in!" she called out, sitting up.

The door opened slightly, revealing her mother.

"Hey sweetie, just here to check up on you," her mother said taking a seat beside her.

"Well, are you excited? New school tomorrow." Offering her best and most reassuring smile. "The school is prepared for you tomorrow, you just have to go to the main office and get your schedule."

Huffing and falling back onto her bed. "I can't wait," she groaned out, ready to jump out the window.

Sighing and working her hand into her hair, Sakura could only feel more frustrated. This move was more of a change for her than it was for her mom. She had to attend a new school, make new friends, and figure out the area but her mother had grown up here and was already familiar with the people on the land.

"I have something that will cheer you up, and maybe help you with adjusting to life here." Sakura could hear her mother say over her silent fuming.

Opening her eyes and tilting her head slightly towards her mom, watching her carefully. "So, I was thinking… Since I'll mostly be on the reservation with your Aunt, and I won't be needing the car too often. Maybe you can take it with you to and from school?" her mother whispered, looking down at her daughter.

_Silence_

"Really!?" Sakura exclaimed, abruptly sitting up, eyes wide, and mouth open. If there was one thing Sakura wanted the most in the world, it was her very own car.

Reaching behind her and dangling the keys. "Yes. It's all yours," her mother nodded.

"Thank you, thank you!" she excitedly screamed, quickly accepting the keys.

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The next morning arrived much quicker than Sakura anticipated; the sun had barely risen and the birds were just starting to sing their songs.

"Bye!" she called out, tossing her lunch into the bag as she made her way towards the car. _Her car._

She couldn't remember the last time she sat behind the wheel, but it felt good. Pulling out of the driveway, windows down, music in the background, the drive was a huge stress reliever. Even though this would be her first time driving outside of Suna, on unfamiliar grounds. One thing was for sure, the smooth and quiet road did a great job at keeping her calm and prepared for the day ahead of her.

The instructions from her mother were short and to the point, _straight into the city and a large school will be on the right._

_Simple enough._

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Approaching school grounds, Sakura parked and gathered all her necessities before heading for the school. It was amazing how large the schools were in the city were compared to those in the country-side. This one had to have had at least six floors and by the looks of it over a thousand students.

It was still early when Sakura arrived. The schoolyard was filled with students chattering amongst themselves. Sakura could tell how they grouped up: cheerleaders, jocks, and nerds. The chatter, however, quickly died down, when Sakura made it closer to the entrance and was stopped by an arm blocking her way.

"Hey! My name is Ino," she greeted, smiling and extending her hand. "You must be Sakura."

Sakura could tell that she was incredibly well put together with her nose pointed high and chin up. Her hair was neatly tied in a ponytail, her shirt and skirt were neatly pressed, and her shoes with nicely polished. If Sakura didn't know better she'd think that Ino was a cheerleader.

"Welcome to Leaf Technology High School. I'm the Junior Student Body rep. and I'll be showing you around today."

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"The first floor is where all the lockers are, and each floor after is…"

She wasn't sure when she started to zone her out but she didn't care much about which part of the school had the most boys or where the football players went to hang out. Ino seemed very set on _showing_ the best part of the school to find boys rather than showing her the school.

"So, what made you decide to move here?" Ino questioned, throwing Sakura out of her trance.

"My mom and I moved after my dad passed… Kind of just to start fresh," she replied hesitantly, surprised to be asked questions so early in the day.

Sakura had thought long and hard about what to say during times when her new classmates would ask personal questions. She had wanted to originally lie and make an elaborate story up about being adopted, but that would only disrespect her parents. Instead, she prayed that she wouldn't be asked so soon, hoping her classmates would give her time to warm up and adjust before crossing lines. _Spoke too soon._

"Wow, I'm so sorry to hear that," Ino whispered.

"Well, this is the main office, they have your schedule and locker combination," she said as she ushered her in. "It was nice meeting you! I'm sure we'll be in a class or two together." Waving goodbye and leaving Sakura by herself.

_Here we go._

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True to her word, Sakura and Ino shared two classes together— chemistry and volleyball. Out of all her classes, those two had to be the most brutal. There was a chemistry pop quiz as soon as she walked through the doors, thankfully the school tried to match her classes from back in Suna so she wasn't too lost. As for volleyball, the class had already completed the teaching phase and was now running games and doing drills. She was practically making out with the balls, from all of them hitting her face. Luckily for her, her coach allowed her to sit out the second half.

Battered and bruised, Sakura trudged towards the cafeteria for lunch. She tried to remember where it was, regretting that she didn't pay better attention, and having to retrace her steps. After some time of wandering around the school halls, Sakura finally found the cafeteria sign.

"Sakura!"

Turning towards the direction of the noise, Sakura could make out Ino from a distance, trying to grab her attention.

Walking closer towards her table. "Come sit with us," Ino called out, motioning and patting an empty seat next to her.

Gladly accepting and feeling the weight off her shoulder liftoff. She was secretly thankful that she didn't have to awkwardly suffer through lunch alone.

"Hi everyone," she greeted, taking a seat next to Ino and pulling out her lunch.

"Sakura, this is Tenten, Hinata, Temari, and Choji," Ino introduced, motioning around the table, pointing at each of them.

They all waved high followed by their name, almost like roll call, except it wasn't. She noticed how different this group was. They didn't fit into any group in particular. Tenten had nice space buns on her head and had her head stuck in a book about weapons. Hinata mostly kept her head down, occasionally sticking it up when the group spoke. Temari had her hair up in a ponytail and was uncomfortably staring at her. Choji could barely get his hello out, while he stuffed his face with snacks. _Interesting group indeed._

"N-n-nice to meet you, Sakura," Hinata stammered, quickly diverting her attention.

"She's a bit shy," Ino whispered in her ear.

"So, the news is you moved here from Suna?" asked Tenten, effectively shifting all the attention that was once on Ino onto her.

Nodding and shifting slightly in her seat. "Yeah, I did."

"So how do you like living in the city now? Must be different, I bet," Temari chimed in, leaning into the conversation.

"Well, I actually don't live in the city," Sakura started, looking up at the group in front of her. "I live on a reservation, a few miles away by a beach."

"Wait, the reservation a few miles down from here? That reservation." Choji questioned, barely audible.

"Well duh, there's only one reservation and beach nearby idiot," screamed Ino, whacking his head with her bagged lunch.

"Let's take a trip this weekend to the beach to celebrate our new friendship," Temari suggested, returning to her lunch.

"So then you must know everyone there," Ino said, narrowing her eyes.

"Not yet, we're having a welcoming party soon," she replied, hesitantly. If there was one thing Sakura hated the most about meeting new people, was the interrogation.

"Then you must know Sasuke Uchiha and his friends?!" shrieked Ino, quickly standing over her.

Looking up from her lunch, Sakura could see Ino and the rest of them looming over her. "Well, no. I've met them, but briefly."

"You have to invite us over sometime!" they all said in unison.

Raising her arms in surrender, Sakura nodded. "We're having a welcoming party this week, and then going to the club after… you guys can come."

"Great! We have to go shopping," Ino squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down.

Sighing and slumping further into the chair. _Great._

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After her less than peaceful lunch, Sakura made sure to catch up on work. She knew there was a library, so she headed over and stuck herself in a quiet and secluded corner. She wasn't used to so many people talking to her at once, so for the rest of the day, she made it her goal to stay out of sight. Her first day at school, she was already given loads of "catch-up" work, immediately following her classes, even in _volleyball._

Before long, the sun started to set, leaving the sunlit library, dark. The only light was coming from the door leading to the halls of the school and the small desk lamp at her table. Checking her phone, Sakura noticed the several texts and missed calls from her mother, most likely concerned with her lateness. Sakura never had a curfew, but she knew to return home whenever her mother started calling and texting.

Collecting her things and leaving the school, she was silently glad that she parked closer to the entrance of the school, as the parking lot was now dark and empty, with the only light coming from a singular lamp post.

The drive back home was quiet, no music, no noise. It was the perfect time for Sakura to enjoy what nature had to offer. The cool breeze, the fresh smell of pine and evergreen trees, the slight rustling of the leaves. One thing Sakura noticed was the moon. It was incredibly beautiful and full today, nothing she's ever seen before. Sakura couldn't help but be mesmerized by the soft glow surrounding it.

She was so captured by the moon and the perfect night sky to match, that she didn't notice the large black wolf in front of her. Her instincts weren't fast enough to stop the car before it hit the animal with tremendous impact.

Bringing the car to a complete stop, Sakura could see the large animal laying on its side a few feet in front of her. Catching her breath before rushing out of her car, she could only the heaviness of her heart.

_She had hit a wolf_.

Walking over, she noticed its eyes on her, curious but calculating its next moves. Her heart-breaking at the sight of blood soaked into its beautiful black coat, and the pain in its eyes.

Crouching down, she reached her arms out to try to soothe the wolf. The least she could do was provide comfort for the animal before it takes its last breath. However, it jolted up before she could reach the wolf. Lunging at her and bringing her onto her back. Flinching hard as it snarled at her, bearing its fangs and growling. Shutting her eyes and waiting for it to attack, Sakura never imagined this was the way she would go. But nothing happened.

Opening her eyes, she could see the wolf inching closer to her, tail wagging. Slowly sitting up, Sakura again reached out her arm, only this time the wolf lowered its head, inviting her to touch. Sakura watched with awe the sudden change in attitude, as it leaned into her touch.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," she whispered to the large animal.

As though the wolf understood her, it started to lick her face, causing her to break out in laughter. Getting up and heading to her car, Sakura watched as the enormous creature limped away, every once in a while, looking back at her, until it finally fled back into the woods.

Returning back to her car and inspecting the front for damages, she noticed a large dent with multiple scratches. The damage was done.

_This is going to be so hard to explain._

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Hope you enjoyed. Let me know your opinions! Thanks, everyone and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.


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